National Service is a time when every Singaporean boy undergoes his first transition. It is a place where we are shoved out of our comfort zone, and entrusted with our first responsibilities as adults. Many recruits have had different army experiences, but it definitely represents a long, arduous, yet ultimately fruitful experience.
As I was a tank driver and technician, Vincent would frequently assign me repair jobs. This, was where our conflicts would come in. His directions were brash and commanding, but they often made no sense! Often, I would try to clarify his instructions or discuss possible alternatives, but anything except a straightforward "Yes, boss" always angered him.
To elaborate on the scenario, I noticed he always had something against the more educated, university-bound recruits. We were generally polite and friendly, but he would always try to put us in a spot. It was like working with a ticking time bomb! In the army, we also had to obey a high degree of subordination towards our superiors. If we had any form of confrontations with them, we had to be extremely tactful; we didn't want to spend our weekends on guard duty!
As my personal motivations were to get the job done while staying out of trouble, I often avoided instances of conflict. I also tried to maintain a positive, friendly working relationship. However, instances of conflict still occur.
Imagine you were in my shoes for this scenario: Vincent tasks me to replace a tank spare part, which I personally find to be just slightly worn, but still in perfect working condition. Thus, I am reluctant to proceed, as the spare parts are expensive, and the job would take an entire afternoon of my labour.
In this scenario, how would you discourage Vincent from proceeding with the job?
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteI really like your post here, as it is related to professional engineering ethics. Of course, if it were to happen before University, I would be at my wits end too. But, from an engineer's viewpoint;
1. safety
2. costs
safety is always the paramount concern, so given that it is still in perfect working condition - a decision made upon careful inspection, I would move on to cost analysis. Given that the spare parts are expensive, it is of course, not economical to change it while it is still in working condition. What I would do is, based on my experience on the task and my understanding on the material, propose an estimated lifespan of the spare parts supported with proof and evidences (calculations/experience). As Vincent may have something against you and your mates, but he cannot do anything if what you propose is logical and fact! So, I would confront Vincent with these and inform him of the possible costs incurred should we proceed on with the job and seek his understanding to review my proposal to postpone it since it is still in good condition.
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow comrade, I can totally feel you. I really do not get them sometimes. They are not receptive to change. This is the 21st century and things have to change to adapt to the people. Some of their methods are overdue and needs to revise to suit the new generation of soldiers. I encounter similar problem in army too, what i did was to talk to him nicely, just putting my idea in clear, simple words. If it does not work, I will bring him down on to the ground to see what actually is going on, let him understand the situation and where I am coming from. I am here to help him, not to make his life more difficult. For my case, after I did this several times, he was more receptive to my ideas and even came to me to ask for my opinion on certain stuff he have on hand.
I think it all boils down to being able to communicate effectively. Certain people require certain techniques, not everyone is able to take changes readily, thus we have to vary what we say and how we go about doing it.
Lastly, I think the overall presentation of your post was well structured and written! Keep up the good work!
This is an interesting scenario, Peter, one that entertains thanks to your manner of detailed description and also because it sheds light on the army life in Singapore. You clear and concisely present your background info, and you do a good job of painting a portrait of Vincent. (As you suggest, it seems clear that he has a bit of insecurity with regard to the more educated recruits.) You also present a well focused question.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few language issues:
1) This, was where our conflicts would come in. >>> This was where our conflicts would arise.
2) Imagine you were in my shoes for this scenario: Vincent tasks me... >>>
Imagine you are in my shoes for this scenario: Vincent tasks you....
But these are minor. Your post has elicited good feedback. Thanks for the fine effort!
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteI believe the scenario you have describe is one that many recruits has experience in army.
I would not recommend that you defy your superior instruction directly. To solve this problem, you need to understand the chain of command in the army.
Although Vincent is your direct superior, there will still be other commanders who are in charge of you. Since talking to Vincent does not make the situation better, you should dicuss with the other recruits and raise the issue during session like PC interview so that other commanders understand your situation.
Of course doing so might potentially offend Vincent, but it often when recruit keep quiet that make things worst. If most of your peers felt treat badly, all of you should raise up the issue.
On a side note, putting in effort to establish good relationship with Vincent like chatting with him when he is in a good mood might actually be the easily way to solve the problem.